NHRC orders monetary compensation against Chhattisgarh Govt for filing false FIRs against human rights defenders

NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission orders Chhattisgarh government to pay Rs 1 lakh each as compensation to six human rights defenders which include Nandini Sundar of Delhi University and Archana Prasad of Jawaharlal Nehru University recently.
On November 5, 2016, the Chhattisgarh police lodged an FIR against six persons under various sections of the IPC, Arms Act, and UAPA for the alleged murder of one Shamnath Baghel of Nama village, Sukma District. The case was supposedly filed on the written complaint of Shyamnath Baghel’s widow, Vimla Baghel. However, she is on record saying she did not name anyone. On November 15, 2016, the Supreme Court gave the accused protection from arrest. In 2018, since the Chhattisgarh police had not taken any steps to investigate or close the matter, the six filed a petition in the SC. Following the Court’s directions, the Chhattisgarh government investigated, and finding there was no case against, dropped the charges in February 2019.
The NHRC also took suo moto cognizance of the alleged harassment and intimidation to the human rights defenders by the Chhattisgarh police. In its order dated July 1, 2020, the NHRC writes, “As regards the registration of FIR against professor Nandini Sundar and others, the DGP submits that during investigation of the said cases, no evidence were found against professor Nandini Sundar, Archana Prasad, Vineet Tiwari, Sanjay Parate, Manju and Mangla Ram Karma. Therefore, their names have been removed from the FIR.”
Ordering a monetary compensation of Rs 1 lakh each, the NHRC order said: “…In our considered opinion, these persons would have certainly suffered a great mental pain and agony as a result of registration of false FIRs against them by the Police which is a violation of their human rights and for this the State Government should compensate them.”
The Commission also asked for a compliance report with proof of payment from the chief secretary of Chhattisgarh government within six weeks.
In a statement the six human rights defenders said: “We welcome the NHRC order and hope that the Chhattisgarh government will act promptly to redress the reputational loss and mental agony suffered by us. We hope that the police officials responsible for filing false charges against us, especially then IG Bastar SRP Kalluri will be investigated and prosecuted. The false charges were filed immediately after the CBI indicted SPOs and Salwa Judum leaders under Kalluri’s command for the burning of the villages of Tadmetla, Timapuram and Morpalli as well as the murderous attack on Swami Agnivesh in 2011.”
The joint statement further added, “To date, despite NHRC recommendations in 2008 and repeated Supreme Court directions, the Government of Chhattisgarh has not compensated the thousands of villagers whose homes were burnt by Salwa Judum or prosecuted those responsible for rapes and murders. Fake encounters and false arrests continue to be a grave concern in Chhattisgarh.”